10 Things You Need to Know Before Booking a Stay at Magnolia House

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Just hours after Magnolia House first opened online reservations in February 2016, it was booked solid for the next six months—and things haven't slowed down since. Fans of HGTV's Fixer Upper continue to clamor for a chance to stay at Chip and Joanna Gaines's bed and breakfast property just outside of Waco, Texas. After all, it's the ultimate place to call home when making the pilgrimage to Magnolia Market at the Silos, a destination that's seen a record number of tourists since it opened in the fall of 2015. (In 2016 alone, well over 1.9 million people visited Waco, according to the Waco Tribune—that's triple the number of visitors reported in 2015.)

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In fact, Magnolia House has proved to be so popular, Chip and Joanna just opened another rental home called Hillcrest Estate in the heart of Waco; true to form, when fall 2017 reservations opened for that property earlier this month, they were gone in record time (just 45 minutes!).

But if you've always dreamed of nestling up all snug in Chip and Joanna's OG vacation home while visions of shiplap dance in your head, now's your chance—Magnolia House reservations for January through June of 2018 open tomorrow, August 23, at 11 a.m. CT. Before you whip out your credit card, though, here are a few things that I learned from staying at Magnolia House earlier this year.

1. Magnolia House is not located in Waco.

Chip and Joanna documented their transformation of this 2,868-square-foot 1880s farmhouse during episode four of the third season of Fixer Upper, and anyone who saw that episode knows that Magnolia House is located just outside of Waco, in the small town of McGregor, Texas. Specifically, the house is a 26 minute drive from Magnolia Market in downtown Waco, and a 33 minute drive from Waco Regional Airport. So if you're planning to fly in from out of town for your stay, you'll definitely want to book a rental car.

2. If you want to secure a reservation, you need to act fast.

As mentioned, when reservations open up for Magnolia House on MagnoliaMarket.com, they go really, really quickly. I booked my stay, for spring 2017, when reservations opened last year on August 18th—and I was ready to go, right at 7 p.m., with my finger poised to click "book now." Luckily, I was easily able to nab the dates I wanted. But, just an hour later, reservations for the first six months of 2017 were gone. So, bookmark the Magnolia website right now (seriously, right now) if you want to grab a spot for 2018.

3. Know the rules—and exactly which dates you want—before reservations open up.

Since reservations go so fast, you'll want to know exactly which dates you're trying to secure when bookings open. Here are the rules: Check-in days are Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays only, and there is a two-night minimum on all reservations. Weeknights must be booked in two-night increments (two nights, four nights, six nights, and so on). Weekends can be booked in two or three night increments. You pay up front for the full stay, but here's the good news if you change your mind after booking your dates: Cancellations and changes to reservations can be made up to 21 days prior to the scheduled arrival date with a full refund. (After that, cancellations and changes are only eligible for a partial refund.) Oh, and following the initial deluge of bookings after reservations open, if there happen to be any one-night stays left behind, you can probably snag one—just email stay@magnoliahomes.net to see if they'll let you book one of those leftover single nights, since the online reservation system only allows for bookings of two nights or more. In my experience, the Magnolia customer service reps were quick to respond, eager to help, and super nice.

4. The house is ideal for groups.

Despite it being called a bed and breakfast, it's more of a vacation rental, in the sense that you can't book individual rooms—it has to be booked as a whole. So ideally, you're going to want to book Magnolia House with some kind of group, to help divide the cost. While I paid $695 a night for two weeknights (plus a 12 percent occupancy tax, so my total for two nights was $1,556.80), the cost can climb to as much as $995 a night depending on what days you book. Pricey if you're just a couple, but far more manageable if you're dividing the cost among several people.

The open room upstairs.

If you are booking Magnolia House for a girls' getaway or a family vacation, you're probably curious about the sleeping arrangements. According to house rules, a maximum of eight people can stay in the house, and there are a total of six beds: Downstairs you'll find a room with a queen bed and a room with two twin beds; upstairs is an open space with a queen bed (heads up: there's no door on this "bedroom"!), plus two small rooms, each with a twin bed. Note: While all the rooms with the twin beds are ideal for kids, if you have little ones who are extra little, you'll want to bring a portable crib with you. Don't worry about feeling cramped with a full house, though: I stayed at Magnolia House with my husband and two-year-old son, along with my mom, my sister, and my aunt and uncle, and we all felt like we had enough space to spread out!

One of the upstairs rooms.

5. The amenities are top-notch.

Apart from said crib, there's really not much else you'd need to bring along with you to Magnolia House because Chip and Joanna have thought of everything. There's free WiFi, two coffee stations fully stocked with Keurig coffee machines, pods, creamer, sugar, and sweetener, all kinds of toiletries (read: fancy shampoo, conditioner, soap, etc.), bottled water, towels, bath robes, hair dryers, a washer and dryer, laundry detergent, a sewing kit, local guide books, umbrellas, charger cables, an iron, a TV and DVD player complete with a selection of family friendly flicks (think Gone with the Wind and Frozen), board games, a Bluetooth speaker, a full kitchen with every appliance, dish, pot, or pan you could possibly need to cook a four-course meal—seriously, I could go on and on, but you get the gist. They have it all! You'll even get a handful of 25% off coupon cards to use at Magnolia Market (score!).

The upstairs coffee nook.

6. The couple who runs Magnolia House is absolutely lovely.

If you watched episode 18 of Fixer Upper's third season, you remember that Magnolia House is run by Rob and Marianne Ward on a day to day basis. The couple lives in a former carriage house (also renovated and designed by Chip and Joanna) directly behind the bed and breakfast property. You might also remember from the show that the Wards are as sweet as pie—a reputation they certainly lived up to in person, as well! After we settled in, Rob and Marianne came over to greet me and my family, show us the ropes, and tell us that if we needed anything just to let them know. (There is no daily meal service or housekeeping at Magnolia House, but the Wards are just a phone call or a text away if you need anything at all, like extra towels or more tiny bottles of shampoo). And if you ask nicely, they might even let you take a look inside their home, too!

Me and my family on the back porch of Magnolia House.

7. If you ever wanted to know what it feels like to be a celebrity, this is your chance.

There are tasteful black-and-white signs posted on the gates outside of Magnolia House that read: "For the privacy and security of our guests, please do not enter the property." At first I was a little freaked out by the constant stream of cars and pedestrians passing by the house to snap photos throughout the day, since it does make you feel a bit like you're living in a fishbowl. But, after getting used to it, it became fun to wave and smile at all the friendly Fixer Upper fans passing by. The town's City Manager agrees that the best tactic is to just embrace it all: "I live a block away and I can personally tell you that on Saturdays and Sundays, they drive by about one vehicle per minute to see the house, at the least," McGregor City Manager Kevin Evans told the Waco Tribune-Heraldin 2016. "During the daylight hours, that is absolutely true, and when I leave the house to go to work every day, whether that is 6:30 a.m. or 8:30 a.m., there is somebody outside taking pictures. It's been amazing to watch from where I'm sitting."

Fans drive by at all hours of the day to take pictures.

8. You'll probably want to do some grocery shopping before settling in.

When we arrived, there was an Instagram-worthy display of Silos Baking Co. pastries laid out on the kitchen counter, and inside the fridge we found Mason jars filled with chopped fruit, a carafe of freshly squeezed orange juice, and other breakfast goodies. But if you want to whip up a full meal at Magnolia House (and you should!), make a pit-stop at a nearby grocery store—we visited the H-E-B about 15 minutes away in Woodway.

If you'd rather go out to eat dinner, and don't want to drive all the way into Waco, I'd recommend walking down to Luigi's Italian Restaurant in McGregor, which is open until 9 p.m. What Luigi's may lack in atmosphere, it more than makes up for with its insanely delicious food and massive portions.

9. Don't forget to explore McGregor.

Of course you're in town to visit Magnolia Market and downtown Waco, but don't forget to take a stroll down McGregor's charming little main street. The town's population is just a smidgen over 5,000, so don't expect a ton of action, but you can certainly while away an afternoon visiting the shops and antique stores, and picking up a few baked delights at Cuppiecakes. McGregor is also home to Tobacco Junction, the largest cigar lounge in Texas, if that's your cup of tea. Oh, and an important heads up: Space X has a rocket engine development and test facility in McGregor, so if you hear some loud rumbling every now and again while you're in town, it's no cause for concern.

The Waco Fire Department invited my sister and son over to check out the fire trucks.

10. Get ready to feel like you're living inside an episode of 'Fixer Upper.'

While it's highly unlikely you'll get the chance to meet Chip and Joanna during your stay, their presence can be felt in every corner of Magnolia House. Joanna's signature style is on display throughout the home—the place is literally dripping in shiplap, open shelves, and white subway tile. And it's hard to walk around the space without remembering specific moments from the "A Home Away from Home for the Holidays" episode (don't worry—you won't get stuck in the house's tiny elevator like Chip did). Truly, the best part of staying at Magnolia House was just getting to kick back and soak it all in—it's an experience that is definitely worth it for any die-hard Fixer Upper fan. You'll feel like you're stuck inside a Pinterest board, in the best way possible. (If you want to get extra nerdy, like I did, tune into an episode of Fixer Upper on HGTV while sitting in the Magnolia House living room—so meta!) On my last evening at Chip and Joanna's bed and breakfast, as I perched in a rocking chair on the wraparound porch, glass of wine in hand and listening to the crickets chirp, I desperately didn't want my stay to end. You can bet I'll be back.

Lauren MatthewsDigital DirectorLauren, Good Housekeeping's digital director, has over 15 years of experience writing and editing beauty, lifestyle, home, health, and entertaining content for publications including Country Living, Woman's Day, Brides, and First for Women.